Profile
Matthew Harris
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About Me:
I am a surgeon in the North West and I am currently pausing my training to enter the world of research and undertake a PhD to see if weight loss can prevent cancer related to obesity. I still make time for my hobbies, in particular playing football for my local semi-professional team!
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I am training to be an abdominal cancer surgeon, with a specialist interest in robotic surgery. My interest in medical technology and cancer led me to undertake this research looking a using coding to see what kinds of weight-loss techniques may be able to prevent cancer.
I have always thought it is really important to have a life outside of work and so I make time for my sporting hobbies, running, surfing and of course playing football!
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My pronouns are:
he/him
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My Work:
Surgeon and researcher in cancer data science and obesity
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I am a trainee surgeon undertaking a PhD project using data science methods (a lot of coding), to assess how weight loss interventions can be effective in reducing the numbers of people who develop cancer related to obesity.
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My Typical Day:
My weeks are quite variable, with no one day looking the same. I have a mixture of research days, meetings and clinical work. This will depend on what stage of the project I am in. I also spend a lot of time collaborating with my colleagues on their projects which helps me learn more!
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My days are quite variable! On a typical research day, I will wake up and go for a walk with my partner. I aim to sit down at my desk at home at around 8am to do a couple of hours of an advanced coding course. I will then normally head into the office, where I may have research meetings, research papers to read, or to do writing for research articles.
I still undertake clinical work, around once a week. I may work in the hospital as a surgeon, seeing patients in A+E and operating on them. The most common thing is appendicitis!
I also have a supervisory team in Leeds, where I may travel once a week for support with the stats side of the PhD.
Thats not including travelling around the country (and sometimes the world!) for other meeting and conferences!
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would like to host an event for students to get an idea what it is like to be a surgeon and what it is like to be a researcher!
This would be a full day of meeting colleagues, showing you our research and workshops to learn some surgical skills like suturing.
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Education:
I went to Primary school in Bexton in Knutsford, then high school and 6th form in Kings in Macclesfield.
I then went to medical school at the Hull-York Medical School, where I was based in York.
I have since undertaken a Masters degree at Imperial College London whilst working as a surgeon.
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Qualifications:
9 GSCEs: 5 A*s, 3 As, 1 B
A levels:
Biology A*
Chemistry A
Economics A*MBBS – Hull York Medical School
MSc in Surgical Innovation – Imperial College London
MRCS (Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons) – RCS (England)
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Work History:
Every summer in University I worked as a farm hand on a dairy farm.
I also worked as a football coach for under 14s.
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Employer:
Cancer Research UK and the NHS
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Surgeon cancer researcher
What did you want to be after you left school?
An intensive care doctor
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Mostly for being late for lessons for playing sport at lunch time!
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I would love to be a pilot (or a professional football player obviously)
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Bombay bicycle club
What's your favourite food?
Mexican!
Tell us a joke.
Two fish are in a tank. One says 'How do you drive this thing?'
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